


No Blessing Ignored

by elenathehun



Category: Naruto
Genre: Families of Choice, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 16:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8586163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenathehun/pseuds/elenathehun
Summary: Despite everything, Shizune had a happy childhood.  Most people don’t understand that, though.





	

_Shizune, age seven-and-a-half_

Her cousins descend upon her uncle’s household almost before Dan’s name is carved into the Memorial Stone, and like the vultures they are, they take _everything_. Her uncle’s favorite floor lamp, the writing set Shizune’s mother had given him when he had made jounin, the family jutsu scrolls, the swords carefully hung on the walls, as well as more prosaic items, like the dishes in the cupboards and the bag of rice in the pantry, even the clothes in his dresser and the blankets off his bed. They take everything, in fact, except for Shizune herself, and at the end of the day, she is left in an empty house with nothing to her name save for a single change of clothes.

“Well, come along, girl, and don’t dawdle!” one of her great-aunts says irritably. “You’ll find I don’t suffer shirkers in my household, no sirree…”

Shizune has read fairy tales; she already knows how this story will end, and is already thinking of how quickly she can pass the Academy graduation exam and start working. Eight isn’t too young, is it? If that Hatake kid could do it, surely Shizune can handle the workload…

“That won’t be necessary.”

Shizune turns around and stares, her eyes watering in the light. Even in mourning robes, even with eyes dimmed with grief, the princess _shines_.

“I beg your pardon?” her great-aunt queries tremulously.

“I said that won’t be necessary,” Princess Tsunade says precisely, with just the barest edge of impatience in her voice. "Shizune is my apprentice. As her master, of course I will house and feed her.“

And with that, she dismisses the woman as though her words had closed the matter - and who knows? For a woman like Senju Tsunade, perhaps it did. 

"Is that all you have, Shizune?” the princess asks solicitously. 

At the edge of her vision, her great-aunt is gaping in shock, but Shizune decided right then and there to model her master in all things and ignored the other woman too. "Yes…Master Tsunade,“ she says respectfully and is rewarded with a sly smile.

"Then come along. My house isn’t so far from here.”

* * *

_Shizune, age ten_

The birds start arriving within a se'ennight of Iwa’s declaration of war. The birds are war-hawks, vicious and cruel, and Master Tsunade won’t allow Shizune near them when the creatures arrive. The birds only barely allow her teacher to handle them, and each time they leave, there are cruel gashes carved into the meat of Tsunade’s arms. 

“It’s good practice,” she says flippantly and holds out an arm for Shizune to practice on, eyes carefully averted from the gory mess. Later, Shizune will need to take her master’s ruined, bloody clothes and burn them out of sight. "Now, show me what you’ve got.“

Shizune is a little faster every time.

The sixth hawk is different: the scroll is tied with black ribbon and after Tsunade reads it, it bursts into flame before her very eyes. Shizune gasps, but Tsunade only rolls her eyes and crushes the flaming scroll in her bare hand. For a spare moment, Tsunade’s eyes are someplace else, someplace very far away…

But only for a moment. 

"I have a mission,” Tsunade says flatly. "It’s a quick one; I should return within a week. In the meantime, I want you to continue practicing under Dr. Oshima’s supervision at the free clinic. Don’t attempt any of the blood-replenishment jutsus unless he is there; everything else is fair game.“

Aside from her habitual paleness at the mention of blood, Tsunade seems fine, so Shizune bows in assent, and helps the other woman pack. They go to a fried chicken shop for a final dinner, and when Shizune awakes in the morning, Tsunade is gone.

It’s a very lonely week. But at the end of it, Tsunade returns, no worse for wear, and Shizune is glad.

* * *

_Shizune, age thirteen_

"The Fourth Rule,” Tsunade pants. It sounds as though there is some blood bubbling into her lungs. Good. It’s unbecoming for a student to glory in her teacher’s pain, but _just this once_ , Shizune is going to indulge.

“Hey, pay attention to me!” Tsunade snaps, coughing wetly. "The Fourth Rule of a medic - what is it?“

Shizune is pretty sure three of her ribs have been broken, but that’s no reason to stop fighting. She’s out of senbon, out of kunai, out of poison, but if there is one thing Tsunade has always taught her, a medic always has their hands and their chakra at the ready at all times. Without a single breath to let Tsunade know she’s moving, she somersaults back into the fray, standing up right behind Tsunade…

…or at least, where Tsunade was five seconds ago. It’s only her flexibility that saves Shizune from a knock-out blow. Shizune snarls, flips away, and then lunges forward with her chakra swords appearing in her hands. One misses by a hair - the second one impales Tsunade right in the belly. For a split second, Tsunade is still; then she sinks down to her knees, clutching at the wound in her gut, eyes disturbingly blank as she stares at the blood seeping from around the blade. Too late, Shizune remembers what Tsunade most fears, and rushes to her master’s side.

"I’m sorry!” she cries out, hands already staunching the wound. "I didn’t mean-“

"No, Shizune, it was well done,” Tsunade grunts, eyes approving as she smiles slyly. "But you forgot one thing: what’s the fourth rule?“

And quick as a snake, Tsunade taps Shizune in the head once. With her monstrous strength, that’s all she needs to knock Shizune out.

(When Shizune wakes up, the point has been made: Shizune may be ready to become a chuunin, but she’s not ready for war.

It turns out it doesn’t matter: three weeks later, the Kannabi Bridge is destroyed.)

* * *

_Shizune, age seventeen_

Every time Shizune returns to the village, she’s surprised by how much it changes between visits. Sometimes it’s for the better, but mostly, it’s for the worse. Two years after the Kyuubi attack, and the Village Hidden in the Leaves still looks like it’s rebuilding; privately, Shizune suspects it may continue to look this way for some time yet. But Shizune has faith that one day, the rebuilding will be done. After all, no one’s body heals overnight, not even Tsunade’s.

The little pig at her side squeals happily, and Shizune turns her attention downward.

"Oh, Tonton, I’ve missed you, too,” she says, kneeling to hug the pig. "But now that I’m a jounin, there’s no reason for Uncle Masakado to block me from signing the summoning scroll. Are you ready for our first mission?“

The pig grunts in assent and keeps still when Shizune holds in her arms. Shizune can’t resist the urge to cuddle the little pig again, so she does; but a moment later, calms down and starts sprinting through the forest. It’s a peaceful run, and a part of Shizune mourns the fact that it will be years before she sees her home once more. It’s a very small part, though. A few hours of travel, and Shizune reaches the edge of the forest. At the edge of the forest, there’s a trading post, and in the trading post, there is a bar, and in that bar, there is a woman, fair and strong - and currently very, very drunk.

"Oh, Lady Tsunade,” Shizune sighs. "I was only gone for three days!“

Tsunade doesn’t answer, only looks at Shizune with bleary eyes. Shizune briskly handles Tsunade’s tab from the petty cash bag, then helps her teacher to one of the post’s rented futons. The fee makes Shizune shrivel up inside, but she bites her tongue and accepts it as a necessary expense… _this time_. The blankets are clean, at least, and Tsunade is docile while Shizune tucks her into her side. A few hours should be enough for recovery, and then they’ll leave. _We’ll probably go to Waterfall next,_ Shizune thinks. _They have that new hospital in the capital, and she never can resist scoping out the competition._

"You shouldn’t have returned,” Tsunade says suddenly. When Shizune looks at her, she sees Tsunade staring back, a clear and lucid light in her eyes. She’s still drunk.

“You shouldn’t have returned,” Tsunade repeats tonelessly. "Everyone I love dies.“

Shizune waits, but no further words are forthcoming, and a few minutes later Tsunade’s eyes slide close and she returns to sleep. Shizune gently tugs the blankets a little further around Tsunade’s neck. Tsunade won’t remember this in the morning; she never does. 

"Not true,” Shizune whispers. "I’m still here.“

(No one heals overnight; no one heals alone. Tsunade thinks her love is a curse; she doesn’t yet realize that Shizune is proof it isn’t.)

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on tumblr on 14 Oct 2016 for Sumigakure's Halloween Event, as a fill for the prompt #1 "Kiss of Death". Minor edits have been made since that time, but the work is largely unaltered.
> 
> Tsunade’s "kiss of death” is mostly implied, but I feel it fits with the theme. You may be curious about the fact that Tsunade sees blood without having a BSOD - I sort of hypothesize that she reacts far more strongly to other people’s blood, rather than her own. Also, I have no idea how she would be able to train Shizune as a medic without being able to handle it even a little unless she outsourced a lot of it (possible and/or probable) or used herself as a dummy for Shizune to heal.


End file.
